what's the warmest you've grown Java moss successfully?

[Progen]

I bought two pieces of driftwood with Java moss tied onto them. One was kept in my main tank, EI fertilized and water changed once a week, with water flow to ensure no minimal dirt settling on them. Looks crap. It's reproducing for sure because I've trimmed it twice but overall, it's a boring brown or brownish green.

The other was dumped into <horror> my dogs' drinking pool which has goldfish, Siamese algae eaters and mollies for fishes and lots of Brazilian swords, duckweed, water lettuce and a bit of this and that. The pool is outside the house but away from direct sunlight. No idea of the water temperature but it feels cool to the touch even on the hottest days. Moss is dark green and plump.

Main tank's temperature averages around 28 - 29 °C and considering that it feels warm enough for a swim, I think the main factor is the temperature.

So now what I'm curious is am I wrong or have some of you managed to grow them successfully at high temperatures because the nice lush ones at the shops are in mid 20s °C water with chillers.

 

[xim]

Ferns, both the Java and the Bolbitis, need cool temperature to look good. The max for Java (while still look OK) is 28.5C, IME. 29 is too hot.
27 or lower is preferable.

 

[mike L]

Java moss...and a fair few others...have always grown well for me at 24 - 25 °C

 

[Progen]

I'm still looking for a good thermometer which I can put my money on as far as accuracy is concerned but the one I have now (with an external probe) said that the water in my dog's pool does go up to 30°C sometimes but the moss inside there is still lush and green.

Another thing I've noticed is that the heavily moss infested tanks I've seen have only mid level lighting at most.

How bright are your tanks?

 

[mike L]

How bright are your tanks?

I'm running 6,000 + Lumens over a 100 Litre....(so 60 Lu per Litre)....but I'm also injecting C02 on the yellower-side of the green and have iron and potassium ramped up.

Java moss can stay annoyingly brown and unappealing for what feels like an age....but once it's acclimatized to your tank, the bright green fronds slowly appear and it continues to improve in luster. Mosses are hardy and adaptive, but require a lot of patience. I've just placed some peacock moss on a suspended slate and it's gone from it's lush green....(when first bought)...to a total state of brown-ness. I scissor chopped it to much finer pieces before mounting and I'm thinking that this chopping and tying and gluing has shocked it a bit.....however....some of my current best and most vibrant, green bushy moss features began life as a pitiable brown mess wrapped around wood or mounted upon a rock.

What is your lighting level in the tank with the disappointing moss ?

 

[Progen]

No idea of the actual output of my brandless lights but at around 2' in air, lux was around 1,100.

I'm sure there's enough light. Anyway, I'm thinking of tying some to a few pieces of driftwood and placing them in the main tank now that I have a fan blowing on it and temperatures are closer to 25 than 30°C.

 

[mike L]

That's a great tank!

Yep, that lower temperature will definitely favour your moss, indeed any tenth of a degree you can gradually shave off towards the lower 20's will contribute. Those upper branches mid-tank would take moss really well too IMHO...

 

[Progen]

The tank's modular in that I can keep rearranging every water change because nothing's planted directly onto the substrate. Cups, trays, bottles and driftwood is what everything is sitting on or in.

That's why I prefer to leave the driftwood bare or else I'll be limited in rearranging possibilities.

 

[castle]

above a bunsen burner; think it grew faster that way too.